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Govt forms independent probe team for Maluku (14/06/02) #3395
The Jakarta Post, June 14, 2002
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Oktavianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The
government has established an independent team to ensure an impartial investigation
into the three years of sectarian conflict in Maluku.
Independent Maluku inquiry team formed (14/06/02) #3393
The Jakarta Post, 6/13/2002 10:55:39 PM
JAKARTA (JP): The government has established an independent team to ensure an
impartial investigation into the three years of sectarian conflict in Maluku.
Indonesia poses test for US on human rights (14/06/02) #3391
The Christian Science Monitor, June 13, 2002 edition
By Howard LaFranchi | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor WASHINGTON –
The outrage was global in the late 1990s when Indonesia's military and goon-like
militias associated with the army ran roughshod through independence-seeking East
Timor. The human rights abuses were so wanton that the United States cut all
cooperation with the Indonesian armed forces.
INDO.: Maluku security should not be muddied (Transcript) (14/06/02) #3390
ABC AUSTRALIA, 12/6/2002
Indonesia's vice President Hamzah Haz has warned the governor of the troubled
eastern province of Maluku that he'll be dumped if he doesn't curb the activities of the
separatist South Maluku Republic. Hamzah Haz, who visited the provincial capital
Ambon this week, says the fragile peace between Muslims and Christians should not
be allowed to become muddied by separatism.
TNI's political neutrality a myth: Analysts (14/06/02) #3388
The Jakarta Post, June 14, 2002
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The bill on general elections, which
provides that members of the military will be able to vote and be elected in the 2004
general election, is a good start but on its own is insufficient to take the military out of
politics, say observers.
INDONESIA: Maluku security should not be muddied (13/06/02) #3385
ABC AUSTRALIA, 12/6/2002
Indonesia's vice President Hamzah Haz has warned the governor of the troubled
eastern province of Maluku that he'll be dumped if he doesn't curb the activities of the
separatist South Maluku Republic. Hamzah Haz, who visited the provincial capital
Ambon this week, says the fragile peace between Muslims and Christians should not
be allowed to become muddied by separatism.
Listen
Indonesian "LJ-Supported" Vice Pres Visits Hardline (13/06/02) #3384
Muslims in Maluku
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Tuesday June 11, 2002
JAKARTA, June 11(AP)--Indonesia's vice president Tuesday toured a school and
medical clinic run by a controversial Islamic paramilitary group in religiously divided
Maluku province.
Police reluctantly acquisce to military authority in Maluku (13/06/02) #3383
The Jakarta Post, June 13, 2002
Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Despite its objection, the National
Police have quickly adjusted itself to the new structure of security forces in Maluku,
which sees the Indonesian Military (TNI) in command.
Governor H.M. Saleh Latuconsina: "There are many things (13/06/02) #3380
yet to be disclosed"
TEMPO, No. 40/II/June 11 - 17, 2002
THERE'S been a new kind of tension in Maluku over the past week-unrelated to the
security in the province administered by Governor H.M. Saleh Latuconsina. It's the
kind of tension that the governor enjoys watching on television: the World Cup
matches in South Korea and Japan. "It's entertainment for me," says Latuconsina.
Maj. Gen. D. Santoso: "We will work hard and resolutely" (13/06/02) #3379
TEMPO, No. 40/II/June 11 - 17, 2002
He has not had the job long, but all eyes are already on him. What will Maj. Gen.
Djoko Santoso-commander of the XVI Pattimura Military Area Command (Kodam)-who
is now also in command of the Peace Restoration Operational Command in Maluku
do? It is a new position set up by the government under the control of the authority for
the state of civil emergency led by the governor. As the name suggests, the task for
the commander of the unit is simple, but difficult: restore security and order to the
region that has been overwhelmed by bloody conflict for the past three years.
Neutralizing the Enemies Within (13/06/02) #3377
TEMPO, No. 40/II/June 11 - 17, 2002
The settlement of problems related to deserters involved in the conflict is very
important for lasting peace in Maluku. Is Commander Djoko up to his job?
Witnesses' Tunes (13/06/02) #3376
TEMPO, No. 40/II/June 11 - 17, 2002
A number of youths in Ambon have been persuaded by persons claiming to be TNI or
police personnel to provoke and wreak havoc. The reward is money, the seduction is
deadly.
Of Snipers and Seeds (13/06/02) #3375
TEMPO, No. 40/II/June 11 - 17, 2002
Galala is back to being active in the trading of essential goods. The once warring
community groups-Muslim and Christian-have freely mingled. But remains of charred
buildings, overgrown with wild grass, tell a story of what happened in that Ambon Bay
area.
Indonesia: Increased tension in Poso following 9 June (13/06/02) #3373
murder
BBC World News, June 11, 2002
Indonesian media sources on 10-11 June reported heightened tension in Central
Sulawesi following the murder of a Christian man in Poso district on 9 June.
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 294 (12/06/02) #3372
Crisis Centre Keuskupan Amboina, Ambon, June 12, 2002
VISIT TO SOYA – In order not to evoke similar criticism like he had to endure
following his visit to Laskar Jihad leader Yafar Umar Thalib in his detention in Jakarta,
Hamzah Haz, having arrived at about 11.45 a.m. at Pattimura Airport, Ambon, went
straight to the Christian mountain village of Soya, at a distance of about 5 kilometers
East of the city of Ambon. This village had been attacked last April 28, leaving 12
dead and 13 injured, 35 houses and the old venerable protestant GPM church
destroyed (see Reports 270-272). On local radio and TV broadcasts he could be
heard and seen engaged in dialogue with the local residents, also, visibly moved,
listening to the outcry of a sobbing woman that had lost two of her children in the
carnage. He promised extra protection to Soya in order to prevent any such thing to
happen again. He also donated a hundred million rupiahs (± US$ 11,760.-) as a
contribution for rebuilding the destroyed church.
Maluku victims cry for justice (12/06/02) #3371
The Jakarta Post, June 12, 2002
The Jakarta Post, Ambon/Jakarta Victims of the Soya attack in Ambon handed on
Tuesday to visiting Vice President Hamzah Haz their accounts of the grim massacre
in their village over a month ago.
"LJ-supported" VP arrives in strife-torn Ambon in peace (12/06/02) #3369
drive
The Jakarta Post, 6/11/2002 2:19:49 PM
AMBON, Maluku (JP): Vice President Hamzah Haz arrived in Ambon capital of restive
Maluku province on Tuesday for talks intended to forge peace and end sectarian
violence that have been raging here for more than three years, reports said.
Renewed Terrorism Against Christians In Poso (12/06/02) #3362
Jubilee Campaign USA, June 10, 2002
A bus traveling from Palu to Tentena, Central Sulawesi, with about forty-five Christians
on board was bombed yesterday, killing four. Dr Jeff Hammond, IFC Indonesia, reports
that one of the dead was a Pentecostal pastor who was sent from Palu to assist IFC
in rebuilding homes in the Poso region. Another seventeen were injured in the attack,
including a mother and child who are among those on the 'critical list'. The bomb was
planted at the back of the bus. A second bomb under a seat at the front of the bus
failed to detonate.
"LJ-Supported" VP to visit Soya, Kebun Cengkeh (11/06/02) #3358
The Jakarta Post, June 11, 2002
JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz is slated to arrive in Ambon on Tuesday at
11:20 a.m. local time for a six-hour visit in the Maluku capital.
Indonesian "LJ-Supported" vice president to witness (11/06/02) #3357
weapons handover in Ambon city
ABC AUSTRALIA, 10/06/2002 21:48:13
Muslim fighters in the violence-torn Indonesian city of Ambon are due to hand over
weapons and explosives to the Vice President, Hamzah Haz, during a brief visit.
Senior judges to be sent to Ambon to deal with unfinished (11/06/02) #3355
cases
The Jakarta Post, June 11, 2002
Kurniawan Hari and Oktovianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Ambon
A group of senior judges are gearing up for a mission to Ambon, the capital of restive
Maluku province, where they are expected to deal with 106 unfinished legal cases.
Indonesia to send more police, troops to Poso after (11/06/02) #3350
fresh violence
ABC AUSTRALIA, 10/06/2002 17:03:30
Indonesia is to send 560 more soldiers and police to a district of Sulawesi island,
where violence has resurfaced after some six months of peace between Muslims and
Christians.
Koteka group decries leader's arrest (11/06/02) #3349
The Jakarta Post, June 11, 2002
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Hundreds of members of the Koteka
organization held a peaceful demonstration at the local council in Jayapura on
Monday demanding an explanation of the arrest of their leader, Benny Wanda, for the
alleged possession of explosions believed to belong to the military-wing of the rebel
Free Papua Movement (OPM).
Abdurrahman files complaint against Amien "Slick" Rais (11/06/02) #3347
The Jakarta Post, 6/10/2002 4:06:32 PM
JAKARTA (JP): Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid went to Jakarta
Police Headquarters on Monday to officially lodge a complaint on alleged defamation
committed by his long-time friend turned foe, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais.
Indonesia - OCHA Consolidated Situation Report No. 79 (10/06/02) #3346
31 May - 07 June 2002
MALUKU * Siwalima local daily reported that the last week election of the new Head
of Southeast Maluku District was tainted with violence, as the supporters of a
candidate on the passenger ship "Bintang Laut" were attacked when docking at a
Tual harbour, resulting in two deaths, eight injuries, and one person still reported
missing.
NORTH MALUKU * On Saturday (1 Jun.), 112 Christian IDPs (88 adults and 24
children) returned from Bitung, North Sulawesi, to their original homes in eight villages
in South Oba of Central Halmahera District.
Hamzah's visit to Ambon will only serve his political (10/06/02) #3345
interests: Thamrin
The Jakarta Post, June 10, 2002
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The planned visit by Vice President
Hamzah Haz to troubled Maluku province on Tuesday will benefit no one but the Vice
President's personal political interests, analysts said on Sunday.
Hamzah set to take leave, focus on PPP election drive (10/06/02) #3342
The Jakarta Post, June 10, 2002
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Vice President Hamzah Haz sparked more controversy on
Saturday by announcing his plan to take a leave of absence as the President's
second-in-command during the election campaign in 2004 to focus on his United
Development Party (PPP).
Investigations continue into murder of farmer in central (10/06/02) #3341
Sulawesi
ABC AUSTRALIA, 10/06/2002 01:00:35
A group of masked men has killed a farmer in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi where a
fragile peace between warring Muslims and Christians has been shattered by a recent
bus bombing.
Masked men kill a farmer in Indonesia (10/06/02) #3340
ABC AUSTRALIA, 09/06/2002 22:35:38
A group of masked men has killed a farmer in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi where a
fragile peace between warring Muslims and Christians has been shattered by a recent
bus bombing.
Five injured in Indonesian bomb blasts (10/06/02) #3339
ABC AUSTRALIA, 09/06/2002 16:51:40
Five people have been injured after a home-made bomb exploded in the Indonesian
capital Jakarta.
Ja'far wants to confront witness (10/06/02) #3338
The Jakarta Post, June 08, 2002
National News - June 08, 2002 JAKARTA: Currently in police custody over agitation
charges and accusations of insulting President Megawati Soekarnoputri, arrested
Laskar Jihad commander Ja'far Umar Thalib said on Friday he wanted National Police
detectives to confront him with the Laskar Jihad follower who reportedly had given
incriminating testimony against him.
S. Sulawesi on alert for influx of Muslim militants (10/06/02) #3337
The Straits Times, Saturday June 8, 2002
By Marianne Kearney STRAITS TIMES INDONESIA BUREAU JAKARTA - Leaders of
South Sulawesi, one of Indonesia's most devout Muslim regions, are opposing plans
by suspected Islamic militants to move into their turf.
Mega has no answer on Theys' murder (10/06/02) #3335
The Jakarta Post, June 08, 2002
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Papua Representatives of the Papuan special committee
tasked to investigate the death of independence leader Theys Hilo Eluay met with
President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday to inquire about the result of the national
independent committee's investigation.
First The Murder, Now... (10/06/02) #3334
The Straits Times, Saturday June 8, 2002
JAKARTA - The grave of murdered Papuan independence leader Theys Eluay was
vandalised yesterday, according to Indonesian police and a local leader.
Indonesia Seeks Bus Bombing Suspects (10/06/02) #3333
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Friday June 7, 2002 4:08 AM ET
By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press Writer JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Security
forces searched Friday for the perpetrators of a bus bombing that killed four people
and injured 17 in an Indonesian region with a history of violence between Muslims and
Christians.
Christians in Indonesian island fear bomb could (10/06/02) #3332
reignite fighting
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Friday June 7, 2002
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) - Indonesian police Friday sent a forensics team to
investigate a bus bombing which killed four people in Central Sulawesi as local
Christians expressed fears it may trigger new unrest with Muslims.
Moluccan Islands, Indonesia: Confidence Building Measures (10/06/02) #3327
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), JRS Dispatches No. 113, 7 Jun 2002
JRS in the Moluccan islands report on a novel approach to bringing together the
Muslim and Christian communities who have been driven apart by three years of
sectarian violence. On 20 May, JRS assisted in a sporting gesture between the two
communities who have been trying to come to terms with each other and live
peacefully together since the signing of a peace agreement last February. The
programme involved Muslim and Christian students watching a football match together
as well as a symbolic gesture known as ''sambung bola'' (connecting through a ball)
which requires the kicking of a football from a Muslim area to a Christian area and
back again.
Djoko vows to end Maluku's military-police conflict (07/06/02) #3326
The Jakarta Post, June 07, 2002
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Oktovianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Newly appointed Chief of the Security Restoration Operations Command in Maluku
Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso vowed on Thursday that last month's Kudamati incident
would be the last conflict between military and police deployed in the troubled region.
Four dead, 17 injured in bus blast in riot-torn Poso (07/06/02) #3325
The Jakarta Post, 6/6/2002 5:18:43 PM
JAKARTA (JP): A bomb that ripped through a crowded bus in eastern Indonesia has
killed four people and injured 17, officials said Thursday.
Four dead, 17 injured in bus blast in Indonesia's riot-hit Poso (07/06/02) #3324
ABC AUSTRALIA, 06/06/2002 21:53:54
A bomb that ripped through a crowded bus in eastern Indonesia has killed four people
and injured 17.
Indonesian bus blast kills four (07/06/02) #3323
BBC World News, Thursday, 6 June, 2002, 21:46 GMT 22:46 UK
Four people have been killed and 17 injured in an bomb explosion on a crowded bus in
Indonesia, officials have said.
Bus Bomb Kills Four, Injures 15 in Indonesia (07/06/02) #3322
REUTERS, Thursday June 6, 2002 5:44 AM ET
JAKARTA (Reuters) - A powerful bomb exploded in a crowded bus in Indonesia's
troubled region of Central Sulawesi killing four people and injuring more than a dozen,
police said on Thursday.
Bomb explodes on bus in central Indonesia, killing four (07/06/02) #3321
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Thursday June 6, 2002 9:06 AM ET
By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press Writer JAKARTA, Indonesia - A bomb
exploded inside a bus packed with commuters in central Indonesia, killing four people
and injuring 17, law enforcement officials said Thursday.
Renewed Terrorism Against Christians In Poso (07/06/02) #3320
CryIndonesia, June 6, 2002
Ian Freestone IFC, Australia, June 6, 2002 A bus travelling from Palu to Tentena,
Central Sulawesi, with about 45 Christians on board was bombed yesterday, killing 4.
Dr Jeff Hammond, IFC Indonesia, reports that one of the dead was a Pentecostal
pastor who was sent from Palu to assist IFC in rebuilding homes in the Poso region.
Another 17 others were injured in the attack, including a mother and child who are
among those on the 'critical list'. The bomb was planted at the back of the bus. A
second bomb under a seat at the front of the bus failed to detonate.
Da'i urges Poso people to avoid provocation (07/06/02) #3319
The Jakarta Post, June 07, 2002
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta National Police chief Gen. Da'i
Bachtiar asked the conflicting Christian and Muslim camps in Poso regency, Central
Sulawesi, on Thursday not to be provoked by a bomb blast in public bus serving the
Palu-Poso-Tentena route.
A New Cloak for the Maluku Conflict (07/06/02) #3314
TEMPO Magazine, June 04 - 10, 2002
Maj. Gen, Djoko Santoso has been installed as Commander of the Maluku Security
Restoration Operation Command. His installment has been criticized as a hidden
attempt to declare a state of military emergency in Maluku.
Deserters on the Rampage (07/06/02) #3313
TEMPO Magazine, June 04 - 10, 2002
HERE is one of the real enemies of peace in Maluku: soldiers who are AWOL from
their own units. The general public knows them as ordinary soldiers, but the TNI
(Indonesian Military) brass prefer to call them deserters: troops, they say, who
commit insubordination and operate beyond the orders of their superiors. Which one
of those contentions is true is not clear yet. The fact is that none of those soldiers
has been arrested yet, let alone interrogated. What's clear is that they make up a
group-with a highly organized working method and, lest one forgets, powerful funds.
A New Crusade (07/06/02) #3312
Far Eastern Economic Review, Issue cover-dated June 13, 2002
Many Christians are turning to the simple certainties of evangelical faiths, a
development that mirrors the rise of militant Islam. Christian fervour is adding yet more
heat to an already simmering cauldron of religious tensions
From the Ashes of Jihad, a Harvest of Souls (07/06/02) #3311
CBN News, June 5, 2002
By Andrea Garrett CBN News Reporter
WARNING: Information in this story may not be appropriate for small children.
CBN.com – It has not been front page news, so many Americans may not have heard
what is happening to Christians in Indonesia. But for three years, Christians in that
island nation have been persecuted, tortured, and killed by Muslim extremists. In fact,
the Indonesian Islamic jihad has already claimed 10,000 lives.
Lee blasted as 'paranoid' over remarks on hard-liners (05/06/02) #3310
The Jakarta Post, June 05, 2002
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Muslim scholars here blasted as
paranoid on Tuesday Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew for his remarks that
Muslim hard-liners were plotting to overthrow President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
nationalist administration to turn the country into an Islamic state.
Waging Peace in Maluku: Civil Society on the Frontline (05/06/02) #3309
Latitudes Magazine, 17 June 2002
by Nicola Frost photographs by Tantyo Bangun Arriving in Ambon was a shock. After
four years away, I'd lost sight of the striking beauty of this little island. Since January
1999, conflict between Muslims and Christians across the region has left at least
7,000 people dead. Hundreds of thousands more have been forced to leave their
homes, as each side attempts a kind of 'religious cleansing.' Newspaper reports of
ransacking, burning and murder had shrouded the bright emerald horseshoe in smoke
and darkness, and tales of snipers in speedboats had somehow dulled the sparkling
blue bay in my mind. The lush green hills edged with small coastal villages now
spread before me as we prepared to land, marked only (at this distance) by ugly red
gashes sprinkled with gray dots where refugee settlements have been carved out of
the hillside. Ambon both is and isn't what it once was.
Indonesia: Government Reins in Laskar Jihad (05/06/02) #3305
Worthy News, June 4, 2002
In a shocking turn of events, the radical Laskar Jihad has been banned from the
Moluccas and its combative leader placed under arrest.
Indonesian Christians Face Tough Decision (05/06/02) #3304
Worthy News, June 4, 2002
Indonesian Christians are learning the hard way what it means to "forsake all and
follow Christ."
Jakarta police confirm entry of terror suspect (05/06/02) #3303
The Straits Times, June 2, 2002
By Derwin Pereira, INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT Jemaah Islamiah man entered
Indonesia in April but police say S'pore did not give prior notice that he was being
sought
Pentagon Official Seeks Aid for Moderate Muslim States (05/06/02) #3302
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Sunday, June 2, 2002
By ERIC SCHMITT SINGAPORE, June 1 - The Pentagon's second-in-command
sought to rally support in Asia today for moderate Muslim nations and their people
who find themselves "on the front lines of the struggle against terrorism."
Analysis: Politics of terrorist socials (05/06/02) #3301
United Press International, June 1, 2002
By SUKINO HARISUMARTO, JAKARTA, Indonesia, Amid international concerns
about terrorists linked to the al Qaida network continuing to operate in Indonesia, the
country's vice president decided to find out for himself firsthand. His visits and dinners
with Muslim hard-line clerics, however, reached a peak of controversy this week, with
Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terrorist group and
the Muslim cleric alleged to be the ideological leader on an organization linked to al
Qaida.
The Unworthy Timorese General (05/06/02) #3300
LAKSAMANA.Net, June 4, 2002 08:44 AM
Laksamana.Net - The chief of the military command overseeing security in eastern
Indonesia says he's not up for promotion because soldiers from West Timor should
not aspire to any rank higher than corporal.
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 293 (04/06/02) #3299
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina, Ambon, June 4, 2002
NINETEEN ADDITIONAL JUDGES – In order to cope with the many still pending
juridical processes, 19 additional judges will immediately be sent to the Moluccas and
North Moluccas. They will be assigned in Tobelo and Soa-Siu (North Moluccas), in
Masohi (capital of the Central Moluccas, Seram) and in Ambon. The number of judges
that is dispatched to Ambon is three, thus bringing the total number of judges in
Ambon on six.
Yamisa foundation 'not welcome' in S. Sulawesi (04/06/02) #3298
The Jakarta Post, June 04, 2002
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar The South Sulawesi administration has
banned an Islamic foundation from operating in the province. Governor H.Z.B.
Palaguna has issued an order to all regents and mayors in the province not to
recognize the Foundation for Islamic Ahlusunnah Wal Jamaah Mission (Yamisa) as a
social organization.
W. Jakarta mayoralty does U-turn on Muslim attire (04/06/02) #3294
The Jakarta Post, June 04 , 2002
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Strong criticism from the public,
particularly legal experts, has changed the West Jakarta Mayoralty's stance on its
own instruction obliging students in public and private schools to wear Muslim attire
on Fridays.
Indonesia - OCHA Consolidated Situation Report No. 78 (03/06/02) #3293
24 - 31 May 2002
MALUKU * On Friday (24 May), an unidentified body with stab wounds was found in
Wasu Village, Haruku Island. Security apparatus were not able to identify the
perpetrator and the motive of the murder is still unclear.
NORTH MALUKU * The Indonesian National Assembly (DPR) will hold plenary
session on 11 June to discuss the motion for the creation of four districts out of North
Maluku district. Meanwhile Mr. Gahral Syah, the North Maluku district administrator
(Bupati) stated that creation of these new districts would facilitate efficient
administration of the present district of North Maluku.
Restoring peace in Maluku (03/06/02) #3292
The Jakarta Post, June 03 , 2002
Some two years ago, when the communal conflicts in Ambon and Maluku seemed to
continue unabated, many people became suspicious of possible foul play. Several
non-governmental organizations raised suspicions that the conflicts were being
deliberately prolonged in order to achieve certain political goals.
Maluku people need moral movement (03/06/02) #3291
The Jakarta Post, June 01, 2002
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The majority of people in
conflict-ridden Maluku reject the government top-down approach to end the prolonged
conflict and instead favor a local moral initiative called the Bakubae Movement to stop
the violence, according to an opinion poll.
Indonesia warns terror war could be assault on Islam (03/06/02) #3290
ABC AUSTRALIA, 02/06/2002 15:00:17
Indonesia says the Muslim world is afraid that the US-led war on terrorism could
become an assault on Islam.
Laskar Jihad and the political position of conservative (03/06/02) #3289
Islam in Indonesia
By: Michael Davis
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS)
Laskar Jihad introduced itself to the world in April 2000, when a procession of its
members marched to the presidential palace in Jakarta brandishing sabres. By the
following month, two to three thousand of the group's members had travelled to
Maluku (the Moluccas), in eastern Indonesia, to fight alongside local Muslims locked
in a cycle of communal violence with the region's Christian population. Their
intervention turned the tables in a conflict in which the Christians had previously
appeared to have the upper hand. Despite widespread criticism of their response to its
activities, the Indonesian authorities have so far taken little sustained action against
Laskar Jihad. The group's emergence has aroused speculation on whether it heralds
an expansion of the political influence of conservative Islam among the world's largest
Muslim population.
West Papua fears arrival of militant Muslims (03/06/02) #3288
Sydney Morning Herald, June 1 2002
By Craig Skehan, Foreign Affairs Correspondent At least four boatloads of Muslim
migrants - including many members of the militant Laskar Jihad - had arrived during
the past week in the restive Indonesian province of West Papua, independence
activists said yesterday.
Indonesia remains an impaired nation (03/06/02) #3283
The Jakarta Post, June 03, 2002
S.P. Seth, Freelance Writer, Sydney, SushilPSeth@aol.com It is now four years
since President Soeharto was forced out of office following popular unrest against his
regime. Much of Indonesia's present problems stem from his long rule. For instance,
the economy simply collapsed because it lacked substance and depth. It was an
edifice built on sand, and when the storm came it simply gave way. Politically, the
illusion of stability was built on a tightly controlled oppressive system that simply
refused to acknowledge problems.
Indonesia on the brink of disaster, bankruptcy: Kwik (03/06/02) #3282
The Jakarta Post, June 03, 2002
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is in the midst of political disarray and financial bankruptcy
as the country no longer takes control of its own fate and is under a new form of
domination, accordingto Kwik Kian Gie's statements on Saturday.
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